A Marine Corps "floating warehouse" recently made a stop in the Arabian Gulf to showcase the capabilities of the Marine Corps Maritime Prepositioning Force.
The USNS Sgt. Matej Kocak, one of the 31 ships that make up the Military Sealift Command's prepositioning program, pulled into port in Bahrain to afford local dignitaries, military leaders and logisticians an opportunity to tour the ship and gain a better understanding of what the prepositioning program brings to the expeditionary missions of the Corps.
"The prepositioning force provides to the Marine Corps the capability to respond in short order, bringing large capacity," said Navy Capt. Fred Harr, captain of the Kocak. "The capability of these ships cannot be duplicated by airlift."
The Kocak carries everything 15,000 Marines would need for 30 days of combat operations. The ship's three levels of storage decks house Humvees, tanks, Howitzers and a multitude of other equipment and vehicles. Rows of shipping containers topside carry smaller necessities such as food, water, and communications gear. The ship, like all ships in the squadron, can set sail for any part of the world with as little as 24 hours notice.
Harr referenced Naval training publications that estimate it would take more than 200 C-5 sorties or more than 300 C-17 sorties to carry the combat cargo load stowed away on the average Martime Prepositioning Ship, not to mention the additional 300-plus airlift sorties required to bring in the Marine Air Ground Task Force and Naval Support Element personnel required at arrival and assembly areas. For this reason and others, the Prepositioning Force along with amphibious warships are integral to the success of the Corps' rapid response and self-sustainment capabilities, according the Marine Corps doctrine.
"We bring a lot of equipment, we're strategically placed, and we're within a matter of days sail away from where we support potential combat operations," Harr added.
The Kocak is currently assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two operating out of Diego Garcia and tactically responsible for prepositioning duties in the Indian Ocean. The ship came into port with squadron-mate, the USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez.
The advent of the MPF in the mid -1980's significantly reduced the time required to get a Marine Expeditionary Force mission capable in a combat operation - from about one month to one week. Ships like the Kocak also made it possible to marry up Marines and their equipment without the convenience of an established port.
"So long as there is a beach where naval beach group equipment can access we can offload without a port," said Ship's Master, Capt. Roger L. Hoffman. The process by which the beach group's equipment ferries gear and vehicles from the ship to the beach is known as an in-stream offload. It's a capability that is in line with the Marine Corps ideology of any clime and place.
The visit to the Arabian Gulf by the Lopez and the Kocak is part of ongoing exercises designed to enhance capabilities and cooperation with partner nations in the region. The U.S. military presence in the region is seen as a prudent means to enhance regional security and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to regional partners and allies.